Breast Milk
Mother’s milk is the best food for babies, especially newborns and those under 6 months of age. Because in every drop of breast milk, there are substances that can help the growth and development of the baby and protect it from various diseases. Mother’s milk is also needed to meet the nutritional needs of babies, increase intelligence, and prevent the emergence of various diseases in babies, for example diarrhea, obesity, sudden infant death syndrome and so on.
Newborn babies are advised to receive exclusive breast milk or only be given breast milk without any other intake until the baby is 6 months old. After that, add complementary foods to breast milk after the baby is 6 months old, while giving breast milk until the child is two years old.
How to Improve the Quality of Breast Milk
The following are several ways to improve the quality of breast milk to meet the baby’s needs:
- Good source of nutrition
In order to improve the good quality of breast milk, mothers are encouraged to consume healthy types of food that are a source of nutrition. Choose foods that contain good fats, such as avocado, nuts, seeds, yogurt, cheese and olive oil. Nursing mothers must also meet their protein intake to improve the quality of breast milk. These nutrients can be obtained by consuming several types of food, such as tofu, tempeh, meat, chicken, eggs and fish. One recommended source of protein is salmon. The reason is, this type of fish contains DHA which is very important for the development of the baby’s nervous system. - Consume calcium & iron
Breast milk is a source of calcium which is needed to improve the quality and growth of baby bones. Calcium consumption can be increased by consuming food sources of calcium such as fish and drinking milk for breastfeeding mothers which contains DHA, folic acid, calcium, vitamins, iron and the prebiotic FOS. If necessary, consume supplements that contain calcium. - Vitamin D
Nursing mothers need at least 600 – 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day, much higher than the average person’s requirement of only 400 IU per day. To meet these nutritional needs, mothers are advised to regularly bask in the morning sun and consume foods containing vitamin D, such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs and fish. If necessary, mothers can also take fish oil supplements to meet their vitamin D needs during breastfeeding. - Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also important for improving the quality of breast milk. Nursing mothers are advised to consume at least 1000 mg of vitamin C per day so that the baby’s vitamin C intake can be met through breast milk. Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, lemons, guavas, mangoes, chilies, tomatoes, spinach and broccoli. - Vitamin A
Vitamin A contained in the food consumed by mothers can be absorbed by breast milk so that it can meet the vitamin A needs of babies. Vitamin A can be obtained by consuming carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and beef liver. The need for vitamin A in breastfeeding mothers is 850 – 1000 mcg per day. This amount is more than the needs of pregnant women, which is only around 800 mcg per day. - Vegetables and fruits
To improve the good quality of breast milk, mothers are encouraged to increase their consumption of foods that contain fiber, such as vegetables and fruit. It is recommended to consume more types of green vegetables, for example broccoli, spinach and katuk leaves. Apart from improving the quality of breast milk, consuming foods that are sources of fiber can also help improve the flow of breast milk. - Drink a lot of water
Consuming more water is highly recommended for mothers during lactation. The goal is to prevent the mother from lacking fluids in the body or dehydration. A well-hydrated body can help maintain the quality of breast milk and the mother’s overall health. - Pay attention to the cleanliness of the food consumed
One of the best ways to maintain the quality of breast milk is to ensure the cleanliness of the food and drinks consumed by the mother. The reason is that choosing food carelessly can actually have an impact on the mother’s health and hinder the breastfeeding process. One way is to always wash and clean vegetables and fruit before consuming them. - Maintain adequate rest and manage stress
Good and good quality breast milk will only be obtained if the mother’s body is healthy and fit enough to produce it. Therefore, while breastfeeding, mothers are advised to always meet their body’s rest needs and always manage stress. Lack of rest and frequent stress can also affect breast milk production so that it does not flow smoothly. - Avoid worrying
Mothers don’t need to worry about a lack of breast milk. As long as the mother is physically and mentally healthy and eats healthy food, the mother can still produce breast milk. Likewise with the baby’s condition. As long as the baby is fine, he will continue to consume breast milk. - Share with other breastfeeding mothers
Meeting or exchanging experiences with fellow breastfeeding mothers can help mothers share the problems and conditions they are experiencing. Mothers can exchange various things, starting from how to increase breast milk, and even encouraging each other to successfully provide exclusive breast milk for babies.
Ways to Increase Breast Milk Production
Mothers can increase their breast milk supply depending on the nutrition they eat, their lifestyle, breastfeeding habits and the child’s condition. Mothers can also ask the doctor or midwife about the right lifestyle so that breast milk production is well maintained.
The following are safe ways that mothers can do to increase breast milk production:
- Breastfeed as often as possible
To increase breast milk production, mothers are advised to frequently breastfeed their babies every 2 or 3 hours and let the baby decide for himself when to stop breastfeeding. When a baby is breastfeeding, this triggers hormones that make your breasts produce breast milk. That’s what’s called the let-down reflex. The let-down reflex is a condition when the muscles in the breast contract and move breast milk through the ducts, which occurs not long after the baby starts to breastfeed. The more you breastfeed, the more milk your breasts produce. Try to breastfeed your newborn baby 8 to 12 times a day. This method helps build and maintain breast milk production. - Pump breast milk between meals and breastfeeding
The problem can also be more complicated if the mother still has to work, therefore pumping becomes an obligation. The best time to pump is between feeding/breastfeeding times, or if you are at home, between feedings. In addition, warming the breasts before pumping helps mothers pump more comfortably and easily. Make sure the mother continues to pump even if the mother has a lot of milk reserves, or even if the baby cannot breastfeed. This is done to prevent breast milk dams from occurring. - Breastfeed from both sides of the breast
Mothers must get used to breastfeeding the baby from both sides of the breast at each feeding. Stimulation of both breastfeeding breasts helps increase milk production and produces higher fat levels in breast milk. When breastfeeding with both breasts, the mother can finish the milk first on the right side of the breast and then on the left side, or vice versa. - The right and correct breastfeeding position
The correct breastfeeding position when there is a correct and appropriate attachment. The following is the correct position when breastfeeding a baby:- Find a comfortable position for mother and baby. Breastfeeding while lying on the bed will be more comfortable, and make it easier for the baby to use his hands, lift and turn his head, and also save the mother from having to look after the baby’s weight.
- Help the baby with skin-to-skin body contact and let him smell your body odor and feel your mother’s touch, to make it easier for him to find your breast.
- When breastfeeding, the baby’s tongue moves to squeeze and push breast milk from the breast milk store into the mouth. Therefore, a good attachment is when the baby’s chin is pressed against the breast, the baby’s mouth is wide open and most of the nipple areola area of the breast enters the baby’s mouth. In this way, the mammary glands will work perfectly to flow breast milk. If a baby breastfeeds by only sucking on the nipple, the milk will not come out smoothly. As a result, it can cause problems around the breasts, especially in the nipple area, such as pain and blisters.
- Recognize the signs of the problem. It is not uncommon for new mothers to feel pain when they first breastfeed, but mothers should not feel pinched or bitten and the pain should not last throughout the breastfeeding process. If you experience any problems during the breastfeeding process, discuss it with a doctor or midwife who is ready to help you.
Apart from the method described above, there are actually many other appropriate positions for breastfeeding a baby, mothers can ask other breastfeeding mothers or also consult with doctors and midwives.
- Skin to Skin Touch
Practicing the breastfeeding method using skin-to-skin contact with your child by holding your child without wearing clothes is believed to stimulate the growth of hormones that can increase breast milk production. Apart from that, building intimacy can improve the quality of the relationship between mother and child even more. - Breastfeeding at Night
Even though you feel tired, mothers should not be reluctant to breastfeed at night. The problem is that babies suck more milk at night than at other times. The volume of breast milk a baby sucks can reach 30 percent of the total breast milk a baby consumes for a full day. As the volume of breast milk decreases, its production also increases to replace lost breast milk.
